Burner construction



June 13, 1939. c. A. HOBSTETTER ET AL 2,161,865

BURNER G ONS TRUCT I ON Filed May 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS J1me 1939. c. A. HOBSTETTER ET AL 2,161,865

BURNER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 2 yVENTORS these disadvantages.

Patented June 13, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,181,865 BURNER eoNs'mUc'rmN Charles A. Hobstetter and Joseph P. vGillis, Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Alonzo L. Milton, Wheeling, W. Va., assignors to Wheeling Steel Corporation, NVheeling, W. Va., a corporation or Delaware Application May 29, 1936, Serial No. 82,536 10 Claims. (Cl. 158-104) Thisunvention relates broadly to burner construction and more particularly to burners forfluid fuel such as are adaptedfor use in connection with ovens, furnaces and the like, and the invention is especially well adapted for use in connection with treating furnaces as for example furnaces for annealing metal. The invention provides for the control of theheat supplied by the burner so that the temperature in the furnace may be varied at different points therein whereby to enable close temperature control under various operating conditions.

.While the invention is not so limited, it will hereinafter. be described purely for purposes of explanation andillustration as embodied in a fluid fuel burner, as for example a gas burner particularly adapted and intended for use inconnection with a metal treating furnace. Means, are provided for admitting fuel to theburner, and for controllingfroma convenient point, such as the end of the burner, the amount of fuel delivered to the combustion zone at points spaced along the burner. Thus a relatively great amount of heat may be supplied adjacent one end of the burner or adjacent the opposite end, and the heat differential may be controlled within wide limits,

or the burnef may be operated to supply an equal amount of heat throughout its entire length.

The ability to control from a; convenient point the amount of heat supplied at various points along the burner enables doing away with a multiplicity of control devices or valves such as have heretofore beeri provided in burners of the general type in question, and which have had to be individually manipulated to obtain the 'desired temperature differential in the furnace. In many instances the control valves, or some of them,

have been difilcultyaccessible or a relatively great amount of piping has been required to enable location of the valves at' a convenientcontrol' point. Our burner construction does away with We also provide for utilizing in a novel manner the air supplied to the burnerfor cooling the burner proper, the heat abstracted from the bumer proper serving to raise the temperature description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure 1 is a transverse cross-sectionalgview through a burner construction and through a portion of the furnace to which it is applied,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the burner proper with a portion cut away,

Figure- 8 is an elevationalview showing the annealing furnace having therein an upwardly extending elongated passage 3 through which the heat from the burner enters the ,furnace chamber. The burner as a whole is designated generally by reference numeral 4 and is carried on suitable supports {within a burner pit or casing 6. The burner 4 comprises an air duct or conduit [shown as being generally in the form of a pipe having disposed therein the burner proper or fuel conduit 8. Theme! conduit 8 is also generally in pipe form, being made up of opposed pipe segments 9 with a division wall ll therebetween, the pipe segments and division wall being connected together in' any suitable or ports I 3, and a similar longitudinally extend- 'ing series of ports 14 isprovided at a correspond ing position in the fuel passage i2. ns'diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2, the ports the portof greatest cross-sectional area being at one end of the burner andthat of least crosssectional area being at the opposite end; Prefburner. The portsll inthe fuefe I! are (l3 in'the' fuel passage llrare' graduated in size,

erably the intermediate ports are of gradually decreasing cross-sectional area from the first mentioned toward the last mentioned end of the similarlygraduatedin size, but the port of great- 7 est cross-sectional area in such fuel passage, is

at the end'of the burner opposite the end' at V which the vport of greatest size in the fuel pas-- sage ll is provided. The relative sizes and arrangement of the respective ports isclearly illustrated ticaliy in Figure 2, although no attempt is made in such figure to reproduce the ports in actual size. I y

We find it convenient to position each of the ports I! opposite one of the ports l4 as shown in Figure 2, although this is not essential. One end of the fuel conduit 4 is preferably closed as indic'ated. at" 15.. At the opposite end, fuel inlet' pipes or conduits i4 and I1. are provided, the former opening into the fuel passage ii, and the 1 latterinto the .fuel passage I! as shown. The

end of the fuel conduit 4 opposite the end which is closed at l4 may have applied thereto a cap l4 provided with a pair of internally threaded collars i4 and 24, which may be closed respectively by plugs 2i and 22, to enable cleaning of the fuel passages. Normally when the burner is in operation, the plugs 2i and 22 are in place and close the end of the fuel conduit.

The pipe I4 is connected through a pipe 23- rotation of each through an angle of, say, 90 will move it-from fully closed to fully open position. The valve 24 has a sten'ill, and the valve 26 has a stem 22. An operating lever 33 is keyed other so that the total amount of fuel suppli through each such set of portsis equal to the total amount of fuel supplied through each other set when both of valves 24 and 24 are half open.

The link IB-may, if desired,-be removed, and each of the valves 24 and 24 operated independentlywhereby, as will be appreciated, an infinite number of conditions of heat intensity and heat gradation may be obtained in the burner. By proper control of the valves any desired temperature relation along the burner may be obtained.

While we have shown only two fuel es H and I2,- it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the use of only two fuel pas sages, but the number of fuel passages may be varied as desired. Likewise the relative sizes of the fuel ports in the various fuel. es may be .varied so that provision may be made for any to the stem 3|, and an operating lever 34 is keyed to 'the stem 22 A link 24 is pivoted to the lever 44 at 24, and to the lever 34 at 31.

It will thus-be seen that movement of the link 24 causes equal rotative movement of the valves 24,and 24, one of such valves being gradually opened, while the other is gradually closed. Figure 4 illustrates diagrammatically the condition obtaining when the valve 24 is fully open and the valve 24 is fully closed. Under such conditions,

the furnace, the amount of heat supplied varying gradually'from the front to the rear. In Figure 5 is tically illustrated the condition obtaining when the valve. 24 is fully open and thevalve 24 is fully closed. Under these circumstances-fuel is suppiled only through the condition of heat supply which may be desired.

The air duct or conduit I is provided along its length with openings 44, one corresponding in position with each pair of ports i2 and I4. In constructing the Burner the fuel conduit 4 is temporarily supported relative to the air duct 1' in the position shown in Figure 1 and a nipple 31 is introduced downwardly through each of the openings 36 so as to be positioned to conduct up- 'wardly from the fuel conduit 4 fuel passing out through the ports i3 and I4. with the memhers "I, a and :1 thus assembled they are welded together by suitable welding material as shown at 34 in Figune 1. A burner extension 24 is provided about the upper portion of each of the nipples 31 to conduct the fuel upwardly to the combustion zone. The fuel then into the passage 2 where it mixes with the air for combustion. The burner extensions 44 are preferably notwelded to theassembly of the members I, 4 and 31 so that such burner extensions may easily V be removed and replaced when desired,

The air may be admitted to the air duct I longitudinally thereof, and is preferably supplied a under pressure, being discharged from the air duct through an opening or openings 44 in-the 4 bottom thereof, the air laterally and up-v fwardlyinto the combustion zone and supporting combustion of the fuel delivered by the burner.

The air is preheated in the air duct 1 by direct contact with the fuel conduit] whieh'is in metalto-rnetal contact .with the' exter sion 44 and the conduit" as well a! the air duct I. Thus heat is transmitted away from-the fuel conduit 4 both by the air in the air duct and by conduction, through the metal of the air duct itself, Inch metal being of relatively great mass as compared the] e i2 and the ports l4, and not .through the fuel pasageli and the portsll, and consequently a greater amount of heat is supplied at the rear of the burnerv than at the front, the amount of heat gradually increasing ong the burner ,from front to rear.

Figure 6 illustrates the condition-obtaining when each of the valves 24'and 24 is half'opena Under these circumstances an equalamount ,of f

mel'is delivered to each of the fuel passages i i and I2, and consequently through the ports I! taken collectively and the ports i4 taken collectively. The ports I! and i4 are preferabiy so proportioned that whenboth valves 24 and' 24- arehalf open a uniform amount of heatis sup-'5' the entire length of the burner; The ppositely disboeed ports It and Mat-each of tbespaced points along the burner augment each urality of fuel ducts. generally .in side-b'y-lide scope of 0 5 relationship, meansfor admittingjuel hereinto, -7

[ direction; the other of said ducts having fuel out.-

- let means spaced' therealong and of gradually siseinsaiddirecflomandmeansfor 7 let means in the fuel duct, and a casing disposed controlling the flow of fuel in each of said ducts.

2. Burner construction, comprising. a plurality of fuel ducts having fuel outlet means therein, means for admitting fuel thereinto, valve means for controlling the quantity of fuel admitted to the respective fuel ducts, and means for operating said valve means to admit at all times a substantially constant total quantity of fuel to said ducts while proportioning the same at will between the respective ducts.

3. Burner construction, comprising a plurality of fuel ducts disposed generally in side-by-side relationship, means for admitting fuel thereinto, each of said ducts having at a location therealong fuel outlet means of different size from the correspondingly positioned fuel outlet means of the other duct and at another location therealong fuel outlet means of substantially the same size as the correspondingly positioned fuel outlet means of the other duct, and means for controlling the flow of fuel in each of said ducts.

Burner construction, comprising an air duct for supplying air to the burner, a. fuel duct having fuel outlet means therein, means for admitting fuel to the fuel duct, the fuel duct being disposed within the air duct, the air duct having outlet means in registration with the fuel outlet means in the 'fuel duct to permit the outlet of fuel therethrough, the air duct being sealed to the fuel duct about said. outlet means'in the air duct which are in registration with the fuel outlet means in the fuel duct to prevent the outlet of air therethrough, the air duct having other outlet means through which the air in the air duct passes, and a casing disposed about the air duct and open at the top. a

5. Burner construction, comprising a fuel duct having outlet mean si' in its upper portion, means for admitting fuel to the fuel duct, an air duct in theme-conductive relationship with the fuel duct and extending therebelow, air outlet means in the lower portion of the air duct, and a casing disposed ahout the air duct and open at the 6. Burner construction, comprising a fuel duct having outlet means in its upper portion,- means for admitting fuel to the fuel duct, an air duct in thermo-conductive relationship with the fuel duct and extending therebelow, air outlet means in the air duct out of registration with the outabout the air duct and open at the top.

7 Burner construction, comprising an air duct for supplying air to the burner, a fuel duct within the air duct, the fuel duct having fuel outlet means communicating through the air duct with the outside of the burner but out of direct communication with the interior of the air duct, the air duct having air outlet means offset generally circumferentially of the burner from the fuel outlet means, and a casing disposed about the air duct and open at the top.

8. Burner construction, comprising a plurality of fuel ducts, means for admitting fuel thereinto,

each of said ducts having fuel outlet means spaced therealong and of gradually increasing size from an end portion'toward the other end portion thereof, the area of said outlet means in said respective ducts increasing in difierent directions, and means for controlling the flow of fuel in each of said ducts.

'9. Burner construction, comprising a pair of fuel ducts disposed generally in side hy side relationship, means for admitting fuel tiiereinte, each of said ducts having fuel outlet means spaced therealong and of gradually increasing from. an end portion-toward the other end portion thereof, the area of said outlet means in said respectiveducts increasing in opposite directions, and means for controlling the flow of fuel in each. of said ducts.

10. Burner construction, comprising a pair of fuel ducts disposed generally in side-by-side rela= tionship, each of 'saidducts having fueloutlet means disposed thereal'ong, said fuel outlet means in each duct being so constructed and arranged as to deliver a relatively great quantity of fuel at one portion of the duct and a relatively small quantity of fuel at another portion of the duct; the portion of each duct at whicha relatively great quantity of fuel is delivered being disposed opposite the portion of the other duct at which a relatively small quantity of fuel is delivered, means for admitting fuel to the respective ducts, and means for controlling the quantity of fuel admitted to each duct.

CHARLES A. HOBSTE'I'I'ER. JOSEPH P. GILLIS. ALQNZO L. MILTON. 

